roasted sweet potato rounds with fried sage

Ingredients:

For sweet potatoes:

3 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

For fried sage:

1/3 cup olive oil

24 sage leaves

Directions:

Roast sweet potatoes:

Preheat oven 450°F with rack in upper third.

Purée garlic with oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.

Toss sweet potatoes with garlic oil in a large Ziploc bag (can ve done 4 hours in advance, refrigerate.)

Spread in 1 layer in a 15-by 10-inch shallow baking pan. Bake until golden in patches and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

To fry sage leaves:

Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry sage leaves in 2 batches, stirring, until crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute per batch.

Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Can be fried 4 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.)

Serve sweet potatoes with sage leaves scattered on top.

Serves 8